10 Knowledge Channel Milestones for 24 years of Reaching More, Teaching More
1. In 1999, the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. started broadcasting all over the country via Sky Cable. After two years, KCFI strived to go nationwide and connect to far-flung and off-grid school communities.
The Lopez-Jaena Elementary School in Misamis Occidental was the first establishment to receive Knowledge Channel programming via satellite. Since then, KCFI has given thousands of schools access to cable, installed satellite dishes in hundreds of schools, and given hundreds of schools on-demand access to the Knowledge Channel, which includes TV, cable, speakers, and a full range of multimedia for schools.
2. Knowledge Channel has been able to reach over 11 million households on air, thanks to partners like the Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association or PCTA, Cignal, Satlite, G-Sat, A2Z, and Sky Cable. Knowledge Channel is also now available on digital TV boxes, thanks to BEAM. Knowledge Channel has been made available to a total of 11,000 schools, ALS Community Learning Centers (CLCs), and Child Development Centers (CDCs) via cable, satellite, Knowledge TV, and PML.
3. In 2013, KCFI introduced the Knowledge Channel Portable Media Library (KC PML)
The Knowledge Channel Portable Media Library is an external hard drive loaded with over 1,500 K-12, Alternative Learning System (ALS), and Early Childhood curriculum-based video lessons and multi-media materials, designed to provide schools and communities offline access to Knowledge Channel.
4. Over 5,000 units of the KC PML have been supplied to public schools across the nation since its launch, assisting educators in developing their abilities as 21st-century teachers.
5. Despite the availability of KC PMLs and satellite dishes, the demands of the modern classroom are ever-changing.
To keep up with this, KCFI launched the Knowledge TV, an offline educational system consisting of a 43-inch smart TV with a built-in Knowledge Channel app, providing schools access to the entire Knowledge Channel library at the press of a button.
6. In 2009, Knowledge Channel launched its official online presence, making it possible for parents, teachers, and students to access the channel from anywhere at any time via its website and YouTube channel. Millions of teachers and students have already accessed thousands of KCFI's video classes, which are available for simultaneous on-air, online, and offline viewing in classrooms and homes.
7. KCFI knew that helping improve education and learning outcomes went beyond video lessons.
In 2013, KCFI deployed its training program, Learning Effectively through Enhanced and Evidence-based Pedagogies or LEEP. It first took place in Butuan and Guimaras. Since then, about 10,000 educators in nearly 2,500 schools across the nation have received training from KCFI.
8. Over the years, KCFI continues to train teachers. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing lockdowns and the cancellation of face-to-face classes, KCFI saw that teachers needed help in adapting to the new learning modalities and came up with a new training program to address this. Knowledge Channel transitioned LEEP to an online training called Knowledge Channel Training in the New Normal or KC TINN. It has reached over 700 schools and trained more than 8,000 teachers for 21st century approaches and use of Knowledge Channel video lessons.
9. From the beginning, KCFI knew that the country suffered learning losses, but this complex problem only intensified during the pandemic.
Some learners still struggled to read and do basic operations even in Grade 3, severely affecting their success in school. Thus, in 2019 KCFI developed Basa Bilang, a program for early literacy and numeracy that aims to produce fully animated video lessons for teaching ECD, kindergarten, and basic Filipino, English, and Math for grades 1 to 3. Currently, Basa Bilang is being piloted in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Makati. A total of 270 fully animated video lessons have been created by KCFI to date.
10. KCFI was able to achieve these feats through harnessing the strength of collaboration and partnership. Since 1999, KCFI has partnered with over 100 local and international organizations, agencies, and individuals to achieve its vision of happier and holistically developed Filipinos. Aside from partner organizations, KCFI has also been able to reach more and teach more through the Knowledge Channel Volunteer and Internship Program or KC VIP, a multi-award-winning program that aims to develop transformational leaders for nation-building and selfless service for the Filipino people, equipping them with the necessary technical and life skills and instilling in them the love of education and learning. Since KC VIP's inception, KCFI has been fortunate enough to work with more than 400 interns and volunteers from more than 40 schools across the globe.
Curious to learn to know more? Read about KCFI's history here: https://www.knowledgechannel.org/history.